11/25/25
Western Governors put bipartisanship into practice at WGA’s 2025 Winter Meeting
It’s roughly 2,300 miles from Washington, D.C., to Scottsdale, Arizona, where the Western Governors’ Association held its 2025 Winter Meeting. However, listening to the bipartisan discussions there, you’d have thought the two cities were worlds apart.
“One of the best parts of these gatherings is that political labels tend to fade away,” WGA’s Chair, Utah Governor Spencer Cox, said. “While we certainly don't agree on everything, and you will see some robust disagreement, I think many of those who attend these meetings leave with a renewed sense of camaraderie and faith in the power of bipartisanship. My hope is that over the next few days, the rest of the country can see that same spirit in action and be reminded that working together actually still works.”
“We really are trying to find common ground,” WGA’s Vice Chair, Hawai’i Governor Josh Green, added. “There's not as much of that in Washington, D.C... but in the Governors' Association, it really is collegial… and I think today you’ll see it in action.”
Joining Governor Cox and Governor Green at this year's meeting were Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, Idaho Governor Brad Little, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte, and New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.
In addition to panel discussions about the energy needs for data centers, broadband expansion, and the Farm Bill, the Governors also spoke with Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“I like to think of Western Governors Association as not just the group that's developing state or regional policy,” Secretary Burgum said, “but in many cases, it's the policies that have been formed right here in this room by the teams, the staffs, the Governors' staffs, that actually shape the direction of this country.”
Watch the video below for more highlights from the 2025 Winter Meeting of the Western Governors’ Association.